About This Project

This collection of memorial songs provides comfort to survivors after the death of someone close, and helps them heal. Before Their Time makes a unique condolence gift for someone you care about, or for yourself, and it will last far longer than flowers.

Before Their Time is a musical resource to promote healing, and it contains far more than entertainment. Dedicated to the memory of people who died young – from accidents, illness and disease, suicide, murder, SIDS or stillbirth, war, terrorism and other causes – it is intended to help survivors recover from the emotional trauma and extended grief that follows a premature death.

Family members and friends who grieve for lives and hopes that will never be fulfilled, and who often endure grief far longer than for people who have lived long lives, may find solace in the music. Zachary Morfogen, founding chairman emeritus of the National Hospice Foundation, describes Before Their Time as comforting and inspirational.

Mental health and grief-support professionals, who are familiar with the value of music to people at all stages of grief, praise both the concept and content of Before Their Time, including Elizabeth Haase, a therapist and grief counselor in Washington, DC, who says, I hope this album will find its way into the hands of many grieving people who hurt desperately and are unable to easily share these feelings. Music can often open our hearts when they feel closed and shackled by grief.

The variety of music included in Before Their Time appeals to a broad audience, and although almost everyone may be familiar with some of the songs and performers, many will be totally new to most listeners. Executive Producer Michael Whitman hopes that listeners will discover a universality in the songs messages, and that these memorial songs, about the spirit of life as well as the poignancy of loss, will be remembered for their beauty even more than for the grief they express.

Besides offering musical comfort that may make grieving less painful and lonely, this album project is designed to raise money and visibility for organizations that provide services to individuals and families going through end-of-life experiences. All net revenue from album sales goes to Hospice and suicide prevention programs – $55,000 to date. See the Beneficiaries page for more information on the organizations that Before Their Time helps.